How to Identify Wenge Wood (Millettia laurentii)

Wenge, Millettia laurentii: color, grain, end grain, Janka hardness (1,930 lbf) and weight, and how to tell it from Wengue-imitation stained woods / African Blackwood, quoted from the USDA Wood Handbook and The Wood Database.

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At a glance

Scientific name: Millettia laurentii
Type: Hardwood
Origin: Central Africa (Congo Basin)
Color: Heartwood medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks.
Grain and texture: Grain is straight, with a very coarse texture and low natural luster.
End grain: Diffuse porous; growth rings sometimes subtly discernible from thin marginal parenchyma bands interrupting wider regular bands; vessels large to very large, very few, with dark-brown deposits common; parenchyma vasicentric, confluent, banded (very wide), and marginal; rays narrow, not visible without magnification.
Janka hardness: 1,930 lbf
Other clue: Faint, slightly bitter scent when being worked; very splintery, and splinters have an increased risk of infection and take longer to heal than splinters from other woods.

What Wenge looks like

Heartwood medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks. Grain is straight, with a very coarse texture and low natural luster. End grain: Diffuse porous; growth rings sometimes subtly discernible from thin marginal parenchyma bands interrupting wider regular bands; vessels large to very large, very few, with dark-brown deposits common; parenchyma vasicentric, confluent, banded (very wide), and marginal; rays narrow, not visible without magnification.

Hardness and weight

Janka hardness 1,930 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Wenge vs Wengue-imitation stained woods / African Blackwood

Wenge's very coarse texture combined with wide, very dark (nearly black) streaks running through a medium-brown background, plus its extremely splintery, dulling working character, distinguish genuine wenge from darker, denser African Blackwood or from ordinary wood stained to imitate wenge's look.

Smell, weight and other clues

Faint, slightly bitter scent when being worked; very splintery, and splinters have an increased risk of infection and take longer to heal than splinters from other woods.

Where you will meet it

Veneer, paneling, furniture, turned objects, and musical instruments.

Working it

Blunts tool edges and sands unevenly due to density differences between light and dark areas; very splintery, with an increased risk of infection from splinters; dust can cause neurological effects, abdominal cramps, and skin/eye irritation; acts as a sensitizer.

How to photograph it for identification

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.

FAQ

How hard is Wenge?

Janka hardness 1,930 lbf. For comparison, Red Oak is about 1,290 lbf and Eastern White Pine about 380 lbf.

How do I tell Wenge from Wengue-imitation stained woods / African Blackwood?

Is Wenge a hardwood or a softwood?

Wenge is a hardwood: it comes from a broadleaf tree. Hardwood and softwood describe the kind of tree, not how hard the wood is; some hardwoods are softer than some softwoods.

What color is Wenge?

Heartwood medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks.

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